If you're going to buy an early 2000s TDI with the automatic, make sure you have about $4000 to $5000 saved up to replace the automatic when it fails. You might get lucky and it'll be fine, but they're known to be POS transmissions on here. My wife's 2000 Jetta has an 01M (automatic) and it was apparently replaced by the previous owner at about 90000 miles. We now have about 172000 on it but that's probably due to regular fluid changes.

But the bottom line is that the 4 speed automatics are not high quality transmissions so you're better off to get a manual transmission.

They are both slushboxes. So I am assuming you are not interested in selecting your own gears.

Given that, the golf might be the better choice, if and only if the transaxle has been recently replaced and you have documentation to prove it.

Otherwise, for the same money, the Jetta is worth consideration as it has half the miles.

Now: do you need a TDI or will a gasser work best for you?

If your commute is relatively short, and you are wondering, then go for the gasser. If you are ready to buy wrenches you don't already own, and you like the idea of learning about your car and doing all your own maintenance, then by all means, get the Golf (but for those miles I'd not be interested in paying more than $3500 without the above mentioned documents).

You will also be needing to do more searching and reading as to what to expect when you buy a used car. You can almost always safely assume that the owner isn't being 100% upfront about everything, and that major maintenance is now due, nearly due, or overdue. That means fun little jobs like the timing belt need doing now. Plan for expenses like that. If they aren't in your budget, go look for a bicycle.

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You always pay for what you get. Sometimes you get what you pay for.It is called dope because it does make you dumb.Thinking outside the box is difficult for some. They're afraid they'll fall off the edge of the box and be lost to oblivion.